Chapter 12
Things were not great.
Stepping back from her cake, she turned off her recording equipment and stretched. Her back was killing her.
“My back is killing me, Horse. I need a proper bed.”
He let out a small woof that she took as sympathy.
She wished she’d been able to afford the custom furniture that one of the locals made, but her savings were depleted from the move here. She’d head into Freestown and see what she could find
Scrolling through her last few videos, she frowned as she saw several people had added negative comments. The weird thing was the comments all sounded similar.
Was one person writing the same things?
She went through and deleted as many as she could find, rubbing her forehead.
What she needed was some decent sleep.
She walked toward the bathroom to have a shower. Maybe that would help her back.
Five minutes into her shower, it went from hot to cold and she let out a groan of disbelief. Why did this keep happening?
She had to quickly finish her shower in freezing cold water. By the time she got out, her teeth were chattering.
It seemed she also needed to get a plumber in. That was probably something the landlord should do. Which meant calling Ravina.
Awesome.
Jake had yet to drop off any keys to her so she was still using the spare keys from Cliff.
Just make the call.
Fifteen minutes later, she’d left a message on Ravina’s phone and gotten dressed.
As she drove through Haven’s main street, she spotted a bakery.
There were people lined up right out the door and it looked packed inside.
Deciding that she might need a coffee and something to keep her going on the drive into Freestown, she pulled into a parking space a few buildings down and got out, putting Horse on his lead.
But as soon as she headed down the street, she saw them walking toward her.
Shit.
No!
Of course, what she should have done was be mature and walk past them with a hello.
She could have been cool but polite.
Instead, she frantically searched for a place to hide like a mad woman. Opening the door to the shop closest to her, she rushed in with Horse beside her.
Once inside, she peeked out of the window. The two men were still walking this way. But it didn’t seem that they’d seen her.
She let out a sigh of relief.
“Are you all right?” someone asked from behind her.
Arabella jumped with a scream, turning to find a very pregnant woman standing there looking concerned.
“I’m so sorry I scared you,” the other woman said, reaching out to pat the top of Horse’s head. “Whoa, you’re a tall guy, aren’t you? Is there something wrong? Do you need me to call the sheriff’s office?”
“What? Oh, um, no.” Shoot. This woman clearly thought that she was in trouble or something.
And who could blame her with the way she’d rushed in here and then stared out the window like that?
“I’m not in any trouble. I was just . . . well, I was avoiding some people.”
“Two extremely handsome FBI agents by chance?” the other woman guessed.
“Um, yeah. How did you know?”
“I took an educated guess since they’re about to walk in here.”
“Oh shit!” she cried.
“Are they bothering you?”
“No, I just . . . it’s pathetic. And silly.”
“Laken, where do you want this box?”
Arabella glanced over as Shaw walked in. What was he doing here?
“Arabella? Hi.” He gave her a small smile.
Shoot. He still looked worn out.
“Shit, they’re coming in!” the other woman said. “Shaw, quick, hide her.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Shaw asked.
“Incoming. K and E. She’s hiding from them.”
Shaw grinned and Arabella groaned even as she rushed over to him. She tripped and practically fell against him. But he managed to keep on his feet.
“I’m never going to hear the end of this, am I?” she asked.
“Nope,” Shaw replied as he grabbed her hand and led her into the backroom.
To her surprise, Horse followed along without any sort of protest.
With a sigh, she sat on one of the chairs he indicated just as she heard masculine voices from the shop.
“Am I an idiot?” she asked.
“Hmm, that depends on why we’re hiding from them. Is it because you hate them and don’t want to talk to them? Or because you’re attracted to them and don’t want to talk to them?”
“Is there a third option?” she asked tiredly. “Like that I just don’t want to talk to anyone?”
“I’m so hurt,” he gasped, putting his hand on his chest as he sat across from her.
Had he been ill? She wanted to ask but wasn’t sure how. She could do small talk for hours but a meaningful conversation with someone she actually cared about?
Yeah. That wasn’t something she was used to.
Would it be rude to ask?
“Sorry,” she said hastily. “I didn’t mean you. Of course I want to talk to you. You’re actually part of the reason I came here.”
“I am?” He gave her a startled look.
“Um yeah. Meeting you that night, the way you and Devon looked after me . . .” she shrugged. “I guess I’d never experienced anything like that before. And you guys were strangers. It felt so good to have someone care.”
“Oh, darlin’. I’d like to have a few words with your fuckhead father.”
“Ah, that’s impossible, unfortunately. He’s dead.”
Shaw narrowed his gaze with a nod.
“Are you all right, Shaw?” she asked, forcing the words out of her mouth.
If he told her to mind her own business . . . well, that would hurt. But she had to ask.
“I was a Navy Seal,” he said suddenly. “I got injured on the job and addicted to opioids. Dishonorably discharged and ended up on the streets of San Diego trying to escape my reality with a concoction of pills.”
“Oh, Shaw,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not your fault, darlin’. And I’m here now, trying to heal. It’s been . . . rough.”
She bet that was an understatement.
“Now, let’s talk about why you’re running from my brothers.”
She groaned and placed her hands over her face. Horse lay across her feet with a sigh as if he’d just realized he was going to be here for a while.
“I don’t want to talk about this. I don’t understand what’s going on. I mean, I don’t trust men.”
“Why not? Did someone hurt you? Your father?”
He sounded so stern that she glanced up at him in surprise. There was anger on his face.
“Who was it? Tell me.”
Arabella shook her head. “Don’t worry. Like I said, my father is dead and the other is living a truly miserable life.”
“You tell me if anyone else messes with you. Including my brothers.”
“You think they’d hurt me?” she asked in surprise.
“No, not physically. And they wouldn’t do anything on purpose. They’re good men.”
She nodded. “They seem like they are.”
“Then why are we hiding from them in here?”
“Because I’m a fool?”
Shaw snorted. “Yeah, you are.”
Rude.
She gasped, placing her hand on her chest. “Now, I’m hurt.”
He just grinned. “Stop procrastinating. What’s going on?”
“I just find it hard to trust my judgment when it comes to . . . well, to anyone. I trusted the wrong person once and he hurt me badly. Don’t worry, he’s truly miserable now.”
“Good.”
“It was the only decent thing that my father ever did for me. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what’s going on with your brothers, because at the end of the day, they don’t want me.”
“No?” Shaw asked.
“No. Kellan only talks to me when absolutely necessary. And Eli . . .”
“Eli what?”
“I don’t know. He’s just really bossy. And protective. I don’t want a bossy man. I don’t want any man. I just want to find a place to belong. To maybe make friends and be happy.”
“Fair enough, darlin’,” Shaw said gently. “I hope we can be friends. I could really use one.”
“Who is going to be friends?” the woman asked as she walked out the back.
Arabella stared at the door in worry.
“Don’t worry, they’re gone,” the other woman said with a smile. “I’m Laken Jones by the way. I’m married to Duncan.”
“He’s another Jones boy,” Shaw said. “Not as good looking as me and much, much fatter.”
“Shaw!” Laken slapped his shoulder with a giggle.
“Not nearly as intelligent either,” Shaw said in a mock whisper behind his hand.
Laken rolled her eyes but she was grinning as she sat with a sigh. “God, that’s good to get off my feet.”
“You’re doing too much,” Shaw told her. “Duncan needs to rein you in.”
“Rein me in?” Laken scoffed. “There’s a reason you’re single, Shaw Jones.”
“And there’s a reason your husband has a naughty notebook,” Shaw countered.
Laken grew red. “Shaw! You can’t say that sort of thing in front of my new friend, Arabella.”
She blinked, aware that she hadn’t told this gorgeous woman her name.
“Oh sorry. Small town and Duncan is a deputy sheriff. I kind of guessed that’s who you were.” Laken grimaced. “Have I put you off being friends with me? I promise I’m not a gossip.”
“All lies,” Shaw mock-whispered again.
“You are so annoying!” Laken told him.
“Hey, be nice to me. Besides, we need to talk about Arabella and her game of hide and seek with Eli and Kellan.”
“I’m not playing hide and seek,” Arabella said.
Are you sure about that?
Arabella rubbed the back of her neck. “Shoot. I am, aren’t I? I hide because I don’t know what to say and I’m attracted to them both and I really am not looking for any sort of relationship.”
Let alone a complicated one with two men.
“But at the same time . . .”
“You want them to bend you over the closest piece of furniture and fuck you hard?” Shaw guessed.
“Shaw!” both Laken and Arabella said at the same time.
“What?” He gave them an innocent look.
“I’m sorry about him,” Laken said to her. “Shaw and I had planned on coming to visit you with a Welcome to Haven basket. Is there anything you need? Want?”
“Oh, that’s really kind. Thank you.” She hadn’t expected that. “I don’t. But if you wanted to stop by for cake and coffee, I’d love that.”
“Ooh, cake.” Laken clapped her hands. “Yummy, it’s a date. Shaw and I will be over on Saturday.”
“Awesome. Do you both work here?” she asked.
“I do not work here,” Shaw huffed. “I’m just here doing time.”
“Hey!” Laken complained. “Are you saying that being around me is doing time?”
Shaw stood with a smile and kissed the top of her head. “No. But a woman’s clothing store is not the sort of place I would normally choose to spend my time. Now, where is that box going?”
“Oh, everything needs to be steamed. Put it by the steamer, please. I’ll do it later. I don’t have the energy for steaming right now.”
“I can do it for you if you like,” Arabella offered as Shaw moved away. “I’m pretty good at steaming.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that!” Laken said.
“Oh, but I’m offering. As payment for hiding me”
Laken grinned. “And I’m guessing not telling Eli and Kellan about this?”
“Yep. Please.”
“All right. I’ll even keep Shaw quiet. I have stuff on him.” Laken winked at her. “By the way, Eli and Kellan said we have you to thank for Shaw smiling again.”
“I really don’t think that’s true,” Arabella told her.
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t seen him smile since before he was injured. And now you’re here and he’s smiling and joking. I think you’ve given him something else to focus on.”
“Um. What’s that?” she asked.
“Getting you together with his brothers,” Laken said with a grin.
“Not happening. That’s not . . . we’re not . . . no.”
Laken giggled. “Oh, we’re going to be good friends. Come on, let me show you the steamer.”
An hour later, she left the shop with Horse with a smile on her face and only one burn from the steamer.
Oh, and a new friend.
She was going to take that as a win.
“Really? She ducked away from us?” Eli asked as Shaw told him about his encounter with Arabella that morning.
They were all at Duncan’s place. He was cooking them dinner on the grill. Remington was here as well.
Eli shared a look with Kellan. Why would she run from them?
“Relax, guys, I think it’s a good thing,” Shaw said. There was a flush of red on his cheeks and Eli felt something ease inside him. He’d been so stressed about losing Shaw.
“Yeah, I always consider it a good thing when women run from me,” Remington joked.
“I would think you’d be pretty used to it,” Kellan said.
Shaw and Remington turned to gape at Kellan. Even Duncan turned away from the grill to stare. And Duncan took his grilling seriously.
Laken was inside sitting with her feet up. Which Duncan had been very firm about.
Eli completely agreed. She looked exhausted. If she was his wife, he didn’t think he’d let her work at all while pregnant.
Suddenly an image of Arabella with a large belly filled his mind. Jeez. Did he want that?
Part of him did.
He needed to calm down. He could barely get her to talk to them. Hell, she’d just run from them today. And the other morning she wouldn’t have eaten breakfast with them if he hadn’t been so pushy about it.
“Did you just make a joke?” Remington asked. “He did, didn’t he? I didn’t imagine that.”
“I don’t joke,” Kellan said. “I just figured that most sensible women would run from you.”
“Asshole.” But Remington smiled.
“What are you going to do? Do you want to pursue this girl?” Duncan asked. “Because it sounds like she’s not so sure about that.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Shaw said.
“Yeah?” Eli tried to sound casual. He still wasn’t completely sure how Kellan felt about this situation. But he seemed slightly intrigued by her.
“I would say proceed gently, but don’t stop. And whatever you do, don’t back away. Because she’s been hurt in the past and she will need to know that she’s worth fighting for,” Shaw told him.
Duncan turned to point at them both. “So make sure this is what you really want. Because you don’t mess with a Haven woman.”
Eli’s temper stirred. “You don’t need to tell us that. We know how the town works.”
“So,” Remington said. “Any news from Tucker?”
“Not yet. I’ve got someone tracking him down,” Kellan said. “He’ll find him.”
It was concerning that he hadn’t found him yet.
Eli knew he and Kellan would need to go home soon. Usually, Kellan would be pushing for them to go home after a day or so. But they kept finding reasons to stick around.
“I hope so,” Shaw said. “But he really doesn’t have to come home if he doesn’t want to. Same with the others.”
Ducan turned to point at him. “Wyatt and Carson will be here tomorrow or the day after. They’re visiting for a week. I’d like to see them even if you don’t. Joe’s coming as well. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell them to get lost straight away.”
“Yeah, do that after they’ve been here a few days,” Kellan said before turning away.
“Is he joking this time?” Remington whispered to Eli.
“I’m going to leave you guessing.”
It was humbling for them to have to guess sometimes.